


Home Again

by VirusZeref



Series: Home is Where the Heart Is [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canonical Character Death, Character Study, Dick Grayson is a Talon, Grief/Mourning, Hurt Dick Grayson, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Jealousy, M/M, Moving On, Past Rape/Non-con, Requited Unrequited Love, Slut Shaming, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-08 04:15:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18886993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VirusZeref/pseuds/VirusZeref
Summary: Every anniversary, Dick was always there.The place where Wally had disappeared.Grieving.





	Home Again

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> Virus is writing Birdflash again? In the good year of 2019?
> 
> Yes! I'm back and ready to write more Birdflash. This is actually based off a headcanon that a follower had sent me via Tumblr (viruscreates) and I promised to write it. I spent all of last night writing it and I am very proud of it!
> 
> Also please note that I had made liberties with the canon universe of Young Justice and combine them with the Prime Earth canon. Example being during the time skip between seasons one and two, Dick was with the Teen Titans.
> 
> Oh! Before you read, there is a reference to two rapes that happens to Dick. Yes, they are canon. Please proceed carefully.
> 
> Now the warning is out of the way! 
> 
> Enjoy!

Everyone was avoiding him.

 

They always do during the week of Wally's...death. No, his disappearance, the speedster wasn't dead. Wally was filled with so much life for the world to harshly take him away. Of course, everyone tells him he's still in denial. That he's grieving harder than anyone else.

 

He can't bring himself to care. 

 

Wally was everything to him, his partner, his friend. The one that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. If only he was brave enough to say something, to throw a hint. If he had a dollar for every time he thought of telling Wally how he felt well…

 

Bruce wouldn't be the only billionaire. 

 

Everyone was slowly moving on from Wally, he got his own statue in the Hall of Fallen Heroes. Artemis had moved on with Zatanna, seeking comfort and love in the magician's arms. Connor and M'Gann, Dick didn't know much about their relationship but based on Tim's rambling during patrol they seem to be on a break. Or officially have broken up. But again…

 

Could he bring himself to care?

 

He threw himself at his work, making a name for himself in Bludhaven. As Nightwing and as a police officer. It was merely a distraction from his grief and it was working. He had refused to talk about it to Dinah, or anyone really. Even Bruce had tried to get him to speak about it. 

 

If Bruce of all people is trying to get you to speak about your problems, then something was up. 

 

But he couldn't bring himself to do so. How does he speak on the emotional bond he and Wally had? How can he speak about how much he loved Wally? Speak about the times of bitterness and jealousy he had felt towards Artemis for getting him first. 

 

How?

 

He doesn't speak on it.

 

Long nights and more problems.

 

Clearing out the corruption from the inside out of Bludhaven. Being molested…

 

No.

 

_ Raped. _

 

When that happened, Dick was numb. He didn't remember what he did next but what Alfred had told him that he just stumbled into the Cave with a haunted look in his eyes. Trudged up the stairs and collapsed into tears on his floor. Alfred mentioned that he couldn’t be moved from his fetal position on the floor, sobbing to himself. His reaction had scared Bruce apparently, 

 

He said nothing to anyone, nothing about his breakdown. Nothing about his second time being used as a toy for another person’s pleasure. He didn’t want people to use that fact against him like they did when Mirage was around. 

 

The slut-shaming the first time was enough.

 

He still doesn’t know what happened to her and he doesn’t care. Rumours have it that she had died in battle. But that entire situation was part of the multiple reasons why he decided to leave from managing both the Teen Titans and Bludhaven to just Bludhaven. Also, tensions were rising between him and Kori and as much as he loved her...he felt hurt. Hurt that she didn’t believe him at first that he didn’t know it wasn’t her. Hurt that she had called him names forgetting for a moment that she herself was a victim of rape as her. But she had apologised and everything was normal. 

 

Almost normal.

 

There was still that hurt between them and in the end. It was best to separate.

 

He still is separating. Isolating himself and focusing on work. Ignoring everyone’s concerns or what they thought was best for him because they cared. Ignoring the looks of pity from Tim or Alfred, ignoring the stares he got from Bruce every time he visited for access to the Batcomputer or information. 

 

Focus on the work and the grief will be forgotten. 

 

It worked for a while. 

 

Pushing the problem down, down into his being. Being happy for everyone else while he wasted away, consumed by his work. 

 

Perhaps Beast Boy had been right, he was becoming like Bruce. He couldn’t really look Barry in the eyes, knowing that he was the one who sent out Wally to die. 

 

No.

 

_ Disappear. _

 

He never visited Wally’s statue in the Hall of Fallen Heroes, he couldn’t bear to look at it. Look at the likeness of the one he loved. He avoided that particular hallway like the plague, pretending to be staring at the briefing papers in his hands whenever the others mention visiting. Dick couldn’t go because of Jason and now he had another reason as well. 

 

He had failed both of them. 

 

He failed Jason as an older brother, seeing that the kid clearly looked up to him. Dick had shunned Jason, taking out his bitterness at Bruce at the kid. Jason didn’t deserve it. And now...Dick couldn’t even apologise for it because Jason was dead. 

 

Or was dead.

 

Imagine Dick’s surprise to receive an emergency call from Bruce, racing from Bludhaven to Gotham only to be at the end of Jason’s gun. Despite the kid’s mask and white streak in his hair, he’d recognise his little brother. 

 

He didn’t say anything.

 

Watched as Jason rambled on about the crime in Gotham, how fear doesn’t work on all of the criminals there. Especially the Joker. 

 

Oh, how Dick wanted to tell Jason that the Joker was dead, for a while. How he had crossed the line and beat the Joker to death, as the clown had reminded him of his failure to protect Jason. How he had told Jason if he needed help, he would come running. 

 

He failed. 

 

Just how he failed Wally. 

 

So, Dick did nothing. Only, immediately left the States to go to Antarctica, to go to that place again. 

 

It has been three years since. He still goes, sits at the exact spot that Wally had stood. Tears streaming down his face. Or at least they did until the bitter cold had frozen them on his face and he was forced to take the Zeta tube back. Then it would be back to business. 

 

Business as usual, he was fine.

 

He was not fine but he managed.

 

Dick always had. 

 

He was the first Robin, the cheerful one. The one that was charming. 

 

He didn’t have a temper. 

 

That title belonged to Jason.

 

Lies.

 

All of them.

 

+++

 

Every anniversary he would go.

 

Just stay there in the bitter cold and icy wind, looking into nothing. Until he had to force himself to leave so he didn’t become a block of ice and die. While he was there he would talk to the wind, talk about his daily life and all the misadventures he had. Talk about his talk with Jason, how he had apologised to his little brother and promised to be better. How much of a dick Bruce could be at times.

 

_ “I wish you were here so I could tell you how much I miss you.” _

 

He had avoided telling about the situation with the Court of Owls, how he was supposed to be a mindless zombie murderer for the Court. How he had fought his grandfather and lost. Lost and was brainwashed into becoming what they had planned for his life. It mostly worked but even as a Talon he found himself drawn back to the Arctic. The Court gave him more freedom to be on his own until the mediocre Talons that they had stored in their freezers. If Dick was being honest he didn’t expect everyone he knew to fight back. 

 

To bring him back. 

 

Granted he was never the same afterwards.

 

His eyes will forever switch from his normal blue eyes to owlish golden eyes under emotional distress. His skin was also much paler than normal. Dick had also kept the knives he used, stored somewhere underneath his bed in his apartment. 

 

The moment he was allowed out of Bruce’s supervision, he had moved to the nearest Zeta tube to the Artic. Falling onto his knees and crying into the ice and snow. Apologising to Wally for almost forgetting all about him. 

 

He still hadn’t moved on. 

 

Dick still buried himself in his work but he allowed himself to be social again. Meeting up with Kori for one of her many, many sleepovers. Slowly repairing his relationship with Jason, regardless of the former Robin’s tendencies to shoot criminals. Dick can’t say anything anymore, he has blood on his hands just as much as Jason does. It’s something that he will remind Bruce of as well, due to the fact that the older man liked to pretend that it didn’t happen.  

 

He joined Tim for his first Pride parade. He decided to slowly integrate himself back into the Young Justice League, not as a leader but as a mentor. Dick wasn’t moving on, he still missed Wally dearly. 

 

Wally was charismatic, he had this type of energy that made everyone’s head turn. Wally was the goofball, the intelligent goofball who played down his intelligence. He was the definition of underestimated. 

 

Wally was the light to Dick’s darkness, the bitterness and anger that swirling deep in his belly. One joke from him could make Dick forget about his problems for a little while. 

 

He was a good person.

 

He was the one who wanted to do want was right. He had turned away the superhero life to start a life of his own. Wally didn’t want to miss out on all of the opportunities that life could offer. Dick understood.

 

Well, he understood now.

 

He missed him.

 

And he loved him.

 

_ He loved him, he loved him, he loved him. _

 

And Dick still loved him.

 

+++

 

It was that time of year again. 

 

And once again, everyone avoided him. Only coming over when there was an actual problem. Dick nodded his head at Bruce before setting the tube’s location to the Arctic again. There wasn’t a need for him to wear much gear after what the Court had done to him. He wasn’t bothered by the extreme cold anymore. 

 

Dick stood near the Zeta tube, looking at the snowy ground before walking. Hearing the crunch of the freshly fallen snow as he walked. The air...somehow felt different. 

 

Electric in a way. 

 

“Hey, Walls…”

 

He was talking to nothingness again but he couldn’t care less.

 

Dick kicked at the snow before speaking again, “I...I miss you. Even after all these years, I haven't been able to move on. I...honestly don’t know why. Maybe...it’s because I lost my best friend. I let you die, pushing you to rejoin even though I knew that you didn’t want to rejoin the hero community. I’m sorry...if I haven’t you would have been alive.”

 

He looked up at the night sky, his breath coming out in a white cloud. “But then again, would have I been able to be happy? Artemis...she misses you too, and she’s happy. Did you know that she and Zatanna were getting married soon? Three years of dating now...though I missed the last year. Too busy being preoccupied being a brainwashed zombie to a cultish society underneath Gotham.” He chuckled to himself before sitting in the snow, making small circles with his fingers.

 

“I don’t think I told you that story, how my grandfather was apparently an undead assassin. It’s in my blood...being a killer I suppose. Bruce would deny it. Everyone would, stating that I am the same before the Court had gotten their hands on me.” Dick’s eyes flashed golden as he turned away. 

 

“I’m not the same...I have blood on my hands. I’m still adjusting...few nightmares and increased tolerances of bright lights. Remember the sunglasses I wore? I had to bring those back for a while. Couldn’t really stand being a brightly lit room without being temporarily blinded.” Dick continued running a hand through his hair. It wasn’t a mullet like many moons ago, Alfred made him cut it but it was growing back. Dick smiled to himself, thinking about what Wally’s reaction to that would be.

 

He would probably laugh at his face. 

 

_ “You could be a hair for Maybelline!”  _

 

Or run his hands through his hair. 

 

“But back to the Talon thing...for some reason, I forgot everyone. Bruce, Tim, Koriand’r, Jason...but never you. You were a blur in my mind but I found myself here after a year of serving the Court. Don’t worry, Bruce had razed them to the ground, the only time he actively allowed Jason to go ham with killing.”

 

“I never...apologised for putting Artemis through that, I know that she meant so much to you. I’m sorry. I’m sorry you’re gone because of me. I’m sorry that I couldn’t save you. I’m sorry...that I couldn’t bring myself to tell you that I love you.”

 

Dick blinked back tears before standing up, brushing off the snow on his pants and butt. How long has he been talking? Judging by the sky, probably a while. He needed to go back and maybe rest for a little while. 

 

The air sparked with light and Dick jumped a little, startled at the display. He looked up and noticed clouds of thunder beginning to form, the sound of thunder rumbling oddly closer than he imagined. He reached for one of his weapons, forgetting for a moment that he left his escrima sticks before. His hand brushed against a dagger however and he drew it out, hiding that hand behind his back. 

 

If it was someone who wanted to pick a fight…

 

Lightning flashed around him as bright as the sun and he shielded his eyes away from the light. Barely having time to jump back from the crack of lightning that struck the surface of the ice. Dick blinked furiously, attempting to clear his vision when he heard a voice.

 

A voice he hadn’t heard for a long time.

 

So long.

 

But he would have recognised it anywhere. 

 

_ “Dick!” _

 

He turned towards the swirling tornado of lightning, squinting as his eyes focused on a figure standing in all the chaos. A figure that was breaking apart, but still had that smile on his face. Dick opened his mouth in shock but no words came out.

 

_ “If I am being honest, I didn’t think anyone would be here…” _

 

He would have continued but he cried out in pain, and Dick took a step forward. Wally chuckled sadly to himself and gazed up at Dick. 

 

_ “There’s no time, I’m out of time Dick. Ya know...I heard everything that you told me. Jason’s resurrection...your experiences with the Court of Owls. Everything. You did change...but even still, you are the same Dick that was kind to everyone. The same one that could inspire an entire generation of young heroes.” _

 

Dick’s hand shook and his mind was racing. How? How was Wally able to hear everything? Where was he coming from? Did some higher being decide this? 

 

_ “Thank you for being there for me, for now. One last time. I’ll go with love in my heart for you.” _

 

_ No. _

 

_ “Goodbye, Dick.” _

 

_ No! _

 

Dick rushed forward as Wally was fading, reaching out to grab what appeared to be his arm. He nearly let go due to the force that was pulling Wally back it.

 

Not today.

 

He was given another chance and he refused to let him go. Not again. Dick is not going to lose Wally  _ again. _

 

_ Give him back! _

 

Dick gave a harder tug and he was sent flying, able to land on his feet with Wally next to him. 

 

“...Walls?”

 

Wally turned to grin at him tiredly, “I told you, where you’re going...I’m going.” Dick chuckled before launching himself at his best friend, holding him close and tight. Like he was going to lose him again. They both stayed there for a while before Dick pulled away, brushing some of Wally’s hairs away from his face.

 

“You missed a lot.”

 

“Clearly, your eyes are golden.”

 

Dick shrugged, “Get used to it, it happens under intense emotions.”

 

They both rose together, hand in hand as Dick lead them both to the zeta tube. They didn’t need to say anything else to each other. They both knew. There was no need for grand love confessions, Wally had heard everything. 

 

But that didn’t stop Dick from kissing Wally as they both were transported to the Watchtower. It didn’t stop Dick from pulling Wally towards the medical bay, surprising everyone that they passed. He was tired...so tired. 

 

And Wally was home again.

 

For now, that’s all that mattered.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave Comments and Kudos
> 
> Tell me what you think!
> 
> Also, there are two easter egg references in this fic! Tell me in the comment what do you think they are!
> 
> And follow me on my social media(s):  
> Tumblr- viruscreates  
> Instagram: viruscreations  
> Twitter: Birdflash_Virus


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